The World Cup begins in June and Iran’s first three group stage matches are all scheduled to be played in the United States, but there are calls for Iran to be excluded from the tournament.
Donald Trump previously said it was “not appropriate” for Iranians to compete in US-based tournaments (Image: Associated Press)
US President Donald Trump congratulated Iran on allowing them to play in this summer’s World Cup on American soil, saying “let them play.” . The tournament will begin on June 11, with all three of Iran’s group stage matches scheduled to be played in the United States amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Iran qualified for the 48-team tournament and will play Group G against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle. There have been calls for changes to the World Cup since the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States began in late February.
President Donald Trump previously said it was “not appropriate” for Iranians to compete “for their own lives and safety,” while it was also proposed to move the games from the US West Coast to Mexico. Afterwards, one of President Trump’s envoys said that Italy, which has not qualified for the tournament, should be allowed to compete instead of Iran.
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FIFA President Infantino remained undaunted throughout, insisting the World Cup would be a “full party” despite smoldering geopolitical tensions. Speaking at the 2026 FIFA Conference in Vancouver on Thursday (April 30), he reassured attendees that everything would go smoothly.
Hours after Infantino spoke at the 2026 Football Conference, reporters picked up Trump’s words and asked the US president what he thought about the FIFA president’s comments.
“If Gianni said it, I’m fine with it. Did Gianni say it? Gianni Infantino, that’s a piece of work,” Trump told the assembled reporters.
Asked what would happen if Iran won, President Trump said, “If Iran wins, we’re going to have to worry about that. I’m going to have to worry about that.”
In December 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) presented the first FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump (left) during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC.
“You know, let them play. Gianni is great, he’s a friend of mine, he talked about it and I said, ‘Do whatever you want to do.’ You can have them or not. They probably have a good team. Do they have a good team, any ideas?”
The reporter who first asked the question said he didn’t know. Trump replied, “Actually, you might not believe it, but we should let them play, right?”
“Of course, Iran will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Infantino said at the beginning of his presidential address to the FIFA Congress in Canada on the same day.
“We want Iran to play and Iran will also be in the World Cup. There is no plan B, C or D. There is only plan A. Iran represents both the people living in Iran and the people living abroad,” he said last month, when he flew to Turkey to watch a friendly between Iran and Costa Rica.
Iran also threatened to boycott the 2026 World Cup citing security concerns (Image: (Photo by Gao Meng/VCG via Getty Images))
He added: “Iran is going to be in the FIFA World Cup and I think Iran is a very, very strong team so far, so we’re excited. So, we’re very happy. We’ve seen the team, we’ve talked to the players and the coach. So, there’s nothing wrong. They’re a very, very strong team, so we’re happy. We’re very happy.”
“And, of course, Iran will play in the United States. The reason is simple: We have to unite. We have to unite our people.”
His speech came hours after Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was denied entry to Canada because of his membership in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran thus became the only country not to be represented at the 76th FIFA Annual Conference, just 42 days after its opening.
Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Spokesperson Matthew Krupoff said the Great White North may take pride in hosting the World Cup and FIFA, but it will not bow down to denying Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) personnel permission to enter Canada.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is denied entry to Canada (Image: Harold Cunningham – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
“As with all Games-related events, visa applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by trained staff. Privacy laws prevent us from commenting on individual cases, but our government has been clear and consistent: Revolutionary Guards personnel cannot enter Canada and have no place in our country.”
“We have taken, and will continue to take, strong action to hold the Revolutionary Guards accountable, while keeping Canadians safe and preserving the integrity of our immigration system.”
Canada officially designated the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization in 2024, enshrining its status in the country’s criminal code. So when FIFA held a roll call in Vancouver on Thursday, Iran was recorded as “absent.”
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